Multiplier for looms



July 12, 193 8.. E. J. WENTZ MULTIPLIER FOR LOOMS F iled Dec. 5, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 12, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE MULTIPLIER FOR LOOMS Application December 5, 1936, Serial No. 114,456

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in multipliers for looms, and it is the general object of the invention to provide a multiplier which will permit the weaving of a fabric, such as a handkerchief, having a fancy border and a patterned body without the use of an excessively long box chain.

It has been proposed heretofore to use multipliers having a principal box chain which controls and in turn is controlled by a multiplier chain for the production of handkerchiefs or the like having a plain body woven with a solid block of color. In such mechanisms the borders are provided with colored stripes, the sequence of which is deter 5 mined by one part of the main box chain, while the other part of the chain is built to call the particular color which is to form the body of the fabric. During the weaving of the body the multiplier chain moves and the main chain is at rest,

the multiplier chain counting the number of picks in the body during which the main chain is stationary. If the repeat be of considerable length the main chain will be provided with a series of successive identical bars each of which can cause a complete rotation of the multiplier chain. In this way the number of picks in the body of the fabric is the product of the number of links in the multiplier chain multiplied by the number of bars in the main box chain series. With such multipliers, however, it is not possible to weave the body with a two-color effect in the weft.

It is the purpose of my present invention to be able to hold the main chain stationary while the body is being woven but furnish a secondary pattern chain which moves while the main chain is idle to produce a color sequence in the weft of the body. As an example, the body may be woven with four picks of one type of weft to be followed by four picks of a different type of weft, the diversity of weft being either as to color or size. Since the main chain will be at rest while the body is being woven it is desirable to keep the multiplier chain in action as long as the secondary chain is weaving the body. As in previous practice the main chain may be advanced one bar for each complete revolution of the multiplier chain, the .main chain beingbuilt to maintain the secondary chain in action as long as needed.

Where the color sequence in the body is more 0 elaborate than a simple four and four repeat the auxiliary chain may give but one sequence of box motions, in which case the multiplier chain should have as many links as the auxiliary chain in order that each repeat of the auxiliary chain can be 5 completed. Where the body repeat is comparatively simple, however, there is no necessity for making the auxiliary and multiplier chains of the same length. I

In order that the three chains may be kept always in proper timed relation it is a further "5 object. of my invention to derive the drive for said chains from a single shaft the use of which will prevent the driving clutches for the several chains from getting out of step with each other.

With these and other objects in view which will 15 appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth, 1-5

Fig. l is a side elevation of a multiplier made according to my present invention,

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view on a reduced scale showing the method of driving the cylinders of the multiplier from a loom shaft, 1 Fig. 3 is an end elevation taken in the direction of arrow 3, Fig. 1, I

Fig. 4 is an end elevation looking in the direction of arrow 4, Fig. 1, showing the box motion indicator rods, 2

Fig. 5 is a detailed plan taken in the direction of arrow 5, Fig. 3, parts being in section, and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic section. on line 6-ii of Fig. 3, certain parts being shown in section.

Referring to Fig. 2, the loom frame iii supports a a9 top or crank shaft I I which rotates once for each beat or pick of the loom and has secured thereto a driving worm gear i2 which meshes with a second worm gear l3 of twice the size and secured to the bottom of an upright shaft It. The latter is secured to a clutch member IE to cooperate with a second clutch member l6 slidable on but rotat ing with an upper upright shaft H. A lever l8 controled by a manually operated cam i9 is capable of lifting the clutch member it away from im the member [5 when it is desired to move the shaft ll independently of the shafts II and M. The shafts l4 and Il are co-axial and may be supported in any approved manner,

The multiplier frame 25 supports three different 4 chain cylinders, the main pattern chain cylinder, the auxiliary pattern chain cylinder and the multiplier chain cylinder being shown respectively at 26, 21 and 28.

The main chain cylinder supports a chain 3|] having cross bars 3| of a sufficient length to provide four adjacent rows of chain elements. As shown in Fig. 3 the inner rows are provided with risers 32 and sinkers 33 and pass under indicator levers 34 and 35, respectively. Each of these 5'5 levers is connected to a depending box motion indicator rod 36 extending to a box motion not shown but operating in the usual manner. The indicator levers are pivoted to the frame 25 as at 31 and operate as do the indicator levers of the usual pattern mechanism for controling a box motion.

The auxiliary cylinder 21 rotates freely about a shaft 40 and has in the present instance two chains or rows 43 and 44 of chain elements, each row being capable of carrying either risers 4| or sinkers 42. The two rows move under indicator levers 45 and 46, respectively, which carry at their outer ends short depending rods 4'! which pass under collars 48 on the rods 35. The upper indicator levers 45 and 46 are pivoted at 49 to the multiplier frame and operate in a manner similar to the levers 34 and 35.

The auxiliary cylinder is driven by a clutch element 50 having a lug 5| to engage a second clutch member 52 fast with respect to the auxiliary cylinder 21. The clutch member 50 rotates with a worm gear 55 driven by the worm 56 secured to the upright shaft I1. The worm 56 causes the cylinder 21 to advance by the space of one chain link for each rotation of the shaft H. Member 50 has a sliding keyed connection 51 with respect to the worm gear 55. A yielding lock engages a notched wheel BI secured to the cylinder 21 and holds the latter against improper motion around the shaft 40 when the clutch member 50 is disconnected from the member 52.

An idle pulley 65 carried on the small bracket 56 guides the lower end of the chains 43 and 44 and is variable as to its position, depending upon the length of the auxiliary chains.

The chains for the main and auxiliary cylinders are so built that when the main chain is to have a period of inaction it will come to rest with sinkers under the levers 34 and 35 so that the levers 45 and 46 can rise and fall as needed under influence of the auxiliary pattern chain and control the rods 41 which will be able to descend with and permit descent of the rods 36. The lifting connection between the bottoms of rods 4! and the collars 48 permit this operation.

The main chain has a row 10 of chain risers II and sinkers 12, respectively for a lever I3 pivoted at 14 to the multiplier frame and having a finger I5 which rises and falls under action of the risers and sinkers of the row I2. The lever I3 extends upwardly and controls the clutch member 50, moving the latter to the left as viewed in Fig. 3 when a riser 'II appears under the finger 15, thereby efiecting driving connection between the auxiliary cylinder and the worm 55. When a sinker appears under the finger I5, spring I6 moves the clutch member 50 to the right as viewed in Fig. 3 to disconnect the auxiliary cylinder from its drive. In this way the main chain is able to control the starting and stopping of the auxiliary pattern chain.

The main chain also controls the multiplier chain and for this purpose is provided with a row 80 of chain elements comprising sinkers 8| and a riser 82, see Figs. 5 and 6. The riser lifts a finger 83 pivoted to an arm 84 secured to a stub shaft 85. A spring 86 between the finger 83 and arm 84 provides a yielding connection between these two parts. A second arm 81, also adjustably secured to the shaft 85, cooperates with a clutch element 88 slidable along a fixed rod 89. The element 88 is driven by a worm gear 90 meshing with a worm 9| secured to the shaft I1, and has the same kind of keyed connection with gear 90 as that described for the auxiliary chain. The clutch element 88 has a lug 92 to engage a second clutch element 93 rotating with the multiplier cylinder 28.

When the riser 82 arrives under finger 83 the shaft will be rocked and the arm 81 will slide the element 88 toward the clutch element 93 to start rotation of the multiplier cylinder. At the beginning of the motion of the multiplier chain the riser I00 on the latter chain will be under a finger IOI, but said riser will immediately move from under the finger and a series of low links I02 will thereafter pass under the finger I 0I The accompanying shifting of the position of finger IN is made use of to disconnect the main chain from its drive. This latter result is accomplished by having the finger IOI pivoted to an arm I03 secured adjustably to a sleeve I04 lying around a shaft 85 and extending through a fixed bearing I05 to have the other end thereof attached to a clutch arm I06. The latter arm cooperates with a clutch member I0'I slidable along a shaft I08 and having a lug I09 to engage a second clutch member IIO which rotates with the main cylinder 20. The relation of the parts is such that when a high link I00 is under the finger IOI lug I09 establishes driving relation between the clutch members I07 and II 0 to rotate the cylinder 26 by a force derived from a worm gear III rotating with the member I01 and driven by a worm I I2 secured to the shaft I1.

When a low element I 02 on the multiplier chain arrives under the finger II the clutch member I 07 of the main chain moves to the right as viewed in Fig. 5 to disconnect lug I09 from the member IIO. In this way the main pattern chain is allowed to remain at rest while low links I02 on the multiplier chain pass under the finger IOI. A notched wheel II5 moving with the main cylinder cooperates with a spring lever II! to hold the main cylinder yieldingly locked against accidental rotation during the period that the main chain is intended to be at rest. In a similar way notched wheel I20 rotating with the multiplier cylinder is held yieldingly by the lock arm I2I when the multiplier chain is intended to be at rest.

The outer end of the multiplier chain may be guided by a roll I25 held in adjusted position by an arm I26 movable about a bolt I21 which can be tightened to retain the arm I 20 in any desired position.

When the main chain has completed the border it will present lower or sinker chain elements in the rows 32 and 33 under the levers 34 and 35, and there will be a riser I00 on the multiplier chain under the finger IOI, the multiplier chain being at rest because of the fact that sinkers have previously continued to move under the arm 83. When the border is reached, however, a riser 82 will act as already described to initiate motion of the multiplier chain, the first effect of which will be to move high link I 08 away from the finger IOI to permit the latter to drop, whereupon the main chain will be unclutched, as will be understood from the previous description. The main chain will remain at rest so long as low links I02 control the clutch for the main chain and under these conditions both the main and the auxiliary pattern chains may be at rest to multiply a single color, or the auxiliary chain may start to turn due to the fact that the main chain initiates motion thereof through lever 13 as already described by movement of a riser II under the arm 15. In this way the multiplier can stop the main chain and the auxiliary chain for the purpose of multiplying on a single color, or it may stop the main chain at a point where the latter is able to start the auxiliary chain for the weaving of a mixed body. It is possible, therefore, to weave the body fabric with alternate zones of mixed and plain colors, every rotation of the multiplier chain advancing the main chain one bar and the latter chain being built so that it can either call the auxiliary chain for a mixed pattern or leave the auxiliary chain at rest for the weaving of a single color block.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a multiplier having a main and auxiliary chain together with a multiplier chain so related that the body of a fabric, such as a handkerchief, can be woven either with a mixed or a plain color scheme and that the body may alternate between zones of mixed and the zones of plain color, the width of which is determined by the length of the multiplier chain. When the entire body of the fabric is to have mixed colors controlled by the auxiliary pattern chain there will usually be a series of bars on the main chain to maintain the multiplier chain active so long as the body is being woven, and Where the repeat controlled by the auxiliarychain is comparatively short, such for instance as eight picks, it will not be necessary to give the auxiliary chain a whole number of rotations but it can be stopped at the completion of any desired repeat by building the multiplier chain and the series of control bars therefor on the main chain of the proper lengths. Where it is desired to have a more elaborate repeat for the body, the auxiliary and multiplier chains will preferably be of the same length, or the length of one of these chains will be a multiple of the length of the other chain. It will further be seen that all three chains are driven by clutch members which in turn derive their force from a single shaft, thus insuring proper timed relation for all of the cylinders.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not Wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

In a multiplier for looms, a main pattern chain, a secondary pattern chain, a multiplier chain, a

driving member for each chain, a single actuator for all the driving members, a set of box chain elements on the main chain, a different set of box chain elements on the secondary chain, a set of secondary chain control elements on the main chain, a set of multiplier chain control elements on the main chain, a set of main chain control elements on the multiplier chain, control connections between the sets of secondary and multiplier chain control elements on the main chain to connect the driving members of the secondary and multiplier chains to the actuator simultaneously to cause both of said chains to move together, control connections between the main chain elements of the multiplier chain and the driving member of the main chain to connect the latter to the actuator and cause the main chain to move, control connections between the secondary chain control elements of the. main chain and the driving member of the secondary chain to disconnect the driving member of the secondary chain from the actuator to stop the secondary chain, and control connections between the multiplier chain elements of the main chain and the driving member of the multiplier chain to disconnect the latter from the actuator.

EARL J. WENTZ. 

